Tuesday's letters: Texas massacre, tax bill and more

Monday

Once again we have a mass killing. And once again, I wonder how many more killings by assault rifles will it take until something is done.

It didn't happen after Columbine, where 12 students and a teacher were slaughtered. It didn't happen after Sandy Hook, where 20 schoolchildren with an average age of 6 years old were gunned down. It didn't happen after 32 were killed at Virginia Tech, or 49 were massacred at the Pulse nightclub, or 58 were killed and over 500 injured by gunfire from multiple assault rifles fired by a lone gunman in Las Vegas.

This time it's Sutherland Springs, Texas: 26 dead and 20 wounded by a young man dressed in full tactical gear who was dishonorably discharged from the Air Force and had a felony record. In what should be a sanctuary, a place of worship.

And once again, we get the customary words of sympathy and comfort from our lame, cowardly leaders in Washington, who, after the customary two days of interviews, will busy themselves trying to figure out what programs to decimate to balance out their "historic" tax reform bill.

Because, after all, now is not the time to talk about our gun problems. And unless he can find a way to blame all of this on Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump will again do nothing.

And once again, we, the citizens of the United States of America are left with our feelings of anger, sadness and hopelessness.

Phil Ruffini, Venice

Buchanan, tax reform and the Great Pumpkin

Congressman Vern Buchanan’s defense of the Republican tax bill, whose rationale is based largely on trickle-down economic theory, reminds me of Linus in the "Peanuts" cartoon waiting for the Great Pumpkin.

No matter that historic and empirical evidence shows otherwise, Buchanan and his congressional colleagues continue to argue that trickle-down economic theory is real and that it works, while Linus waits another year for the Great Pumpkin to appear, which we all know never will.

This would be laughable but for the fact that the middle class will be paying once again for a Republican giveaway to Wall Street, major corporations already flush with cash, and the most wealthy in our country.

As a businessman, Buchanan should know better, but as a political ideologue who, himself, will reap tremendous economic benefits from the tax bill, he chooses to ignore history and the facts to add some $1.5 trillion to the national debt, with almost nothing more to show for it other than a bunch of millionaires and billionaires reaping the benefits.

No wonder Congress is at its lowest popularity rating ever.

Harry Kamberis, Holmes Beach

Tax reform may compensate for loss of medical deduction

The letter "Medical-expense change raises seniors' taxes" voiced concern that the proposed elimination of a tax deduction for medical expenses above 7 percent of adjusted gross income could cause some seniors' income taxes to increase.

For some seniors this could be true, but others may see their taxes reduced because this reform is coupled with a doubling of the standard deduction.

If a senior no longer qualifies for itemized deductions because he can't claim medical expenses, the larger standard deduction might actually give him more.

As a former accountant who used to help clients with personal income taxes, I recommend to all of my friends that, before they call their congressman or senator to urge them to vote either for or against the proposed tax-reform package, they first call their accountant to review the details in the proposed tax bill to see how they would affect their taxes.

Who knew tax reform designed to simplify our taxes could be so complicated?

Steve Scott, Sarasota

Climate Assessment shows need for legislative solution

Thank you for your coverage of the National Climate Assessment. It makes no sense that the current administration will not listen to a consensus from its own employees. The administration continues to deny climate change.

According to Yale University polling, climate-change deniers make up only about 12 percent of our national population. The medical journal Lancet has called deniers who are politicians “bio-political terrorists.”

Since the impact of deniers is to make life tougher for their descendants, it is fair and just that those descendants will get to choose the nursing homes where the deniers will spend their last days.

It is time for everyone to listen to the scientists and get to work on solutions. Federal politicians, for example, should pass carbon-fee-and-dividend legislation. It’s the smartest way to incentivize the transition from a fossil-fuel economy to one that is sustainable.

John E. Darovec Jr., Bradenton

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